9 Make-Ahead Dinners To Win the Week

While I absolutely love cooking, trying to get dinner together after a busy day is more hustle and noise than calm slicing and beautiful music. Those of you with kids know what I’m talking about – getting dinner on the table can be a feat! That’s why I like to prepare in advance by doing make-ahead dinners. We keep the freezer and fridge stocked with foods we just need to heat and serve, removing a huge stress factor of the day!

Baked Spinach and Ricotta Stuffed Pasta Shells

Baked Spinach and Ricotta Stuffed Pasta Shells opens in a new tab

While I absolutely love cooking, trying to get dinner together after a busy day is more hustle and noise than calm slicing and beautiful music. Those of you with kids know what I’m talking about – getting dinner on the table can be a feat!

That’s why I like to prepare in advance by doing make-ahead dinners. We keep the freezer and fridge stocked with foods we just need to heat and serve, removing a huge stress factor of the day! Whether this means you cook all your food on one day, make a double batch opens in a new tab and freeze a portion opens in a new tab, or keep the slow cooker at the ready opens in a new tab, there’s plenty of ways to ensure you have tasty food for the dinner table.

If you’ve never prepped food in advance, it’s just as easy as following any recipe! These Quick Make-Ahead Turkey Dumplings opens in a new tab are a great option to start with as they use only a few ingredients for a lot of flavor. My sons recently decided they love dumplings so I’m definitely making some for our freezer!

Check out how to make the dumplings opens in a new tab in our video:

Need more inspiration? Here are a few of my favorite make-ahead meals, from sandwiches to soups and everything in between.

Slow Cooker Classic Pot Roast
Sweet Potato Gnocchi
Peruvian-Style Roasted Chicken with Sweet Onions
Southwest Veggie Burgers
Chicken "Pot Pie" with Crunchy Brown Rice Crust
Vegan Portobello Muffuletta
Hearty Lentil and Sausage Soup
Baked Brown Rice Kibbeh

Baked Brown Rice Kibbeh opens in a new tab

Share your favorite make-ahead dinners in the comments!

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